an Owner’s Guide

Missed Blessing — Parable of the Drowning Man

How many times have you missed the blessing because it didn’t come in the way, shape, or form you wanted, or expected?

You can say the message of the following story is — trust God but use common sense. However, it also makes me think about our expectations and how we sometimes miss the blessing/missed being blessed because we are too focused on it appearing the way, or by the means, we want or expect. Sometimes we don’t even realize our prayers have been answered because it didn’t happen the way we had in mind.

Parable of the Drowning Man

There’s a man, let’s say his name is Dave. Dave owns a beautiful house on the bank of a river. Over the last few weeks, the town Dave lives in has been hit with one storm after another, and with each storm the river rises. This morning the Weatherman on the local news forecasted the storm of the century. The river that Dave lives on is expected to crest at 30 feet above its normal level; Dave’s house and life are in danger. The News is encouraging people who live on this river to voluntarily evacuate. Dave ignored the evacuation suggestion and shouted at the TV, “God will take care of me!” The river water continued to rise. Local neighbors with boats rode around and offered Dave a ride to safety. Dave said no thank you to the ride and told his neighbors, “God will take care of me!” Dave was now sitting on his rooftop because the water was up to the second floor of his home and was still rising. The Coast Guard sent a helicopter to Dave’s house to rescue him. Dave refused to leave and told the Coast Guard, “God will take care of me!” The water continued to rise and Dave drowned. As he approached the gates of Heaven he asked St. Peter why. He asked how could God let him die when he had such faith? He said he always believed God would take care of him. How could God forsake him now when he needed him the most? St. Peter said to Dave with a sigh, “Dave, God tried to take care of you but you refused his help. He sent you a warning and suggestion to evacuate in the newscast, he sent you a rescue boat and then he sent you the Coast Guard in a helicopter. But, you refused all the help that God was sending you because you were failing to see that God can only help you, if you let him. Everything was right before your eyes and you refused to pay attention and accept it.”